As the Cincinnati Bengals sit at home during Week 6's Sunday action, it's the perfect time to envision what the team will look like coming out of their brief hibernation. Much of it hinges on the contributions from certain unheralded players who could be poised for bigger roles.
Through five weeks, yes, the defense is still inconsistent but is undeniably improved. What's more concerning is how slim the margin for error is on offense, which in effect, leaves Joe Burrow still having to play hero ball just to make the unit functional.
With a need to get the ground game going, a need for a do-it-all tight end, and a need for a receiver who creates quick separation, Cincinnati has just the men for to fill all those nagging holes...
Samaje Perine could have a much bigger role than he bargained for at running back
The truth is that Samaje Perine is just a better pure football player than Chase Brown. Much of this comes down to sheer experience, but Perine is also a more compact, powerful runner than Brown who can, at the very least, fall forward for a couple extra yards.
Since the Bengals refuse to diversify their playbook in the run game, Perine is the classic, gritty between the tackles runner who can make the most of Cincy's inside zone/duo/draw package scheme.
Brown frankly doesn't have any standout attributes. Not a home run hitter. Not a make-you-miss guy. Not someone who's going to run defenders over. He's a fine pass-catcher, but no better than Perine in that department.
As long as Perine can handle the workload, he should be RB1. And it should be obvious once we cross to the proper middle of the season.
Cincinnati can't give Dohnte Meyers the ball often enough (but what if they try harder?)
It's weird to me that an offense starring Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Joe Burrow can grade so poorly in average wide receiver separation. The fact that Burrow is completing 71.4% of his passes into such tight windows so often speaks to his greatness.
Avg per route separation a QB WRs generate and QBs total accuracy rate. pic.twitter.com/AlUkBb7aqj
— Jrfortgang (@throwthedamball) October 14, 2026
This is where Dohnte Meyers can help the cause a lot. Meyers is more of a pure slot guy but he can absolutely play on the boundary. His versatility can create more opportunities for Chase in the slot, and also result in a higher separation clip.
Why the Bengals haven't made this adjustment already is beyond me. Zac Taylor seems to think he can't run from under center from 11 personnel. Except that's what worked really well in 2021, and the guy who helped him get this job in the first place, Sean McVay, was the king of running from under center with 11 personnel to resurrect the Rams franchise.
And yet...Cincinnati runs the highest rate of 12 personnel in the NFL. Doesn't seem like the most efficient use of resources to me.
Even if Mike Gesicki makes it a de facto 11 personnel more often than not, my point stands. Dohnte deserves to cook.
Erick All Jr. remains as the X-factor who can make Bengals' newer offensive wrinkles work
If we are gonna keep it in 12 personnel so often, you know what a terrible strategy is? Putting Gesicki as the glorified slot receiver, and Drew Sample as the pure inline blocking tight end.
That's how you get so many predictable run/pass splits. It tips your hand to the opponeont, so then by default, of course you just drop back in the gun and let Burrow sling it.
Assuming the Bengals actually care about Burrow's well-being and want this under center thing to work, Erick All Jr. is the answer. I understand that in Week 5, he fumbled just out of bounds on the sideline, and drew Taylor's ire after committing a 15-yard penalty.
All is just an intense dude. He's also a freak athlete who's finally healthy after literal years of knee troubles. Alas, the Bengals still want to spin their wheels with Sample more often than not.
The snap count between Sample and All was pretty close in the win over the Dolphins. Let's hope that sustains. Sample brings zero juice in the passing game, isn't that great of a run blocker to begin with — if he was, wouldn't it show in the overall production of the offense? — and Tanner Hudson's season-ending injury creates a logical void for All to see far more action.
Add us as a preferred source on Google